Vegetation Fire
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Edson Fire Department and Alberta Wildfire Response
At approximately 20:27 hrs on the evening of June 8, the Edson Fire Department responded to reports of a vegetation fire with smoke in the wooded area located south of the 5600 block of 1st Avenue, between the landfill and the CN Rail access road. The first arriving fire officer found a working wildfire actively burning in this wooded area, with visible flame.
The Edson Fire Department responded with three command vehicles, one tender, one engine and a UTV. Prior to arriving, an Alberta Wildfire contract helicopter in the area was requested to initiate bucketing operations on the fire. An Alberta Wildfire Initial Attack Crew was also requested. Wildfire responded with a duty officer and two engine crews, along with the contract helicopter. The helicopter conducted four precision bucket drops on the fire. Edson crews alongside AB Wildfire crews fully extinguished the fire with handlines following the aerial knock down.
Following this, the fire area was thoroughly overhauled by Edson firefighters alongside an Alberta Wildfire Helitack Crew to ensure complete extinguishment of hot spots and eliminate the risk of re-ignition.
The Town of Edson maintains a strong mutual aid partnership with Alberta Wildfire, and we extend our sincere thanks for their rapid and professional support during this incident.
Preliminary investigation has determined that the fire was human-caused, originating from an encampment in the area. The Edson Fire Department is working closely with the Edson RCMP to investigate this incident further.
The wildfire danger rating in our region remains Extreme, and we urge all residents and visitors to exercise very high levels of caution. The risk of wildfire ignition and spread is significant under current conditions, and we must all do our part to protect our community and surrounding natural areas.
We thank our emergency responders for their quick action and remind the public that all open fires, including unauthorized campfires and the use of fireworks, are strictly prohibited during this period of heightened fire risk.